CAMHS in the Community

The CAMHS Community Mental Health Team supports children and young people in Northamptonshire who have severe and complex mental health difficulties. The service offers a range of therapies delivered individually or in groups, at a number of localities across the county.

Type

CAMHS in the Community

Our Child and Adolescence Mental Health service CAMHS are here to support children and young people up to the age of 18 in Northamptonshire, experiencing difficulties with their emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties. The team offer a range of interventions and therapies delivered individually or in groups, in partnership with families in a number of localities.

We offer:

Mental health assessments or cognitive assessments

Skills based workshops for young people, parents and carers

Individual work with a range of professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and psychotherapists

CAMHS Live - helping you to access the mental health services you might need

Consultation Line

Children’s Response and Resolution Team

Training for professionals.

Who is this service for? Children and young people up to the age of 18 and registered with a GP in Northamptonshire.

Young people

What does CAMHS do?

Our Child and Adolescence Mental Health service CAMHS are here to support children and young people up to the age of 18 in Northamptonshire, experiencing difficulties with their emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties. The team offer a range of interventions and therapies delivered individually or in groups, in partnership with families in a number of localities.

We offer:

Mental health assessments or cognitive assessments

Skills based workshops for young people, parents and carers

Individual work with a range of professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and psychotherapists

CAMHS Live - helping you to access the mental health services you might need

Consultation Line

Children’s Response and Resolution Team

Training for professionals.

How do I sign up to CAMHS?

Any professional that is currently supporting you can make the referral for your emotional and mental health wellbeing. This could be your GP, school nurse, school teacher, social worker.

If you are over the age of 13, you can also speak to us directly about getting support through our online chat CAMHS live

What happens at my first appointment?

Here at CAMHS we understand it can feel really scary coming for your first appointment. It’s normal to feel anxious and not knowing what to expect, we are here to help and ease those feelings. You will be greeted by one our friendly receptionists and asked to wait in one of our waiting rooms. Occasionally you may have to wait so please make sure you log on to our Wi-Fi (NHFT-Guest) so you don’t use up your data.

What happens next

During your appointment we will talk to you, to understand your difficulties. This is your opportunity to share how you feel and see if anything you have tried before has helped. Your clinician may want to speak to you alone during your appointment, or your parent’s/carer. Your appointment will last approximately 90 minutes and by the end of the appointment, you and your clinician will decide if a CAMHS intervention is appropriate for you.

Helpful tips to think about:

What do I want to get from CAMHS, think about what you are currently experiencing difficulties with? What do you want to achieve? What do you want help with?

What happens after my first appointment?

You will receive a letter detailing the outcome of your initial assessment. Depending on the outcome, the letter will include information on what to do next. If a CAMHS intervention is required, you’ll be given information on how to access your next appointment.

In the meantime think about what you discussed in your meeting and any helpful tips or tools in managing your difficulties. Try putting them into practice.

‘It’s okay not to be okay and it’s absolutely okay to ask for help’

What support do you offer?

The team are made up of specialist mental health practitioners with a variety of backgrounds to support you and your family. They offer brief interventions to give you the skills to manage your difficulties. This could be in groups, direct work or support in school. It will be to suit your individual requirements

If you are invited to attend one of our workshops you will be given tools and techniques to find ways to help you understand your difficulties and give you positive strategies in managing those difficulties.

We also provide therapeutic interventions for complex mental health disorders, which may include:

Individual therapy

Family therapy

Therapeutic groups

Psychiatry assessments

Medication prescribing and reviewing.

You may also just come to CAMHS to see our medics.

We work in a multi-disciplinary team with a variety of professionals all trained in mental health interventions and are all here to help support you in your journey to recovery through CAMHS.

And don't forget...

Here at CAMHS we understand it can make you feel really anxious about joining a group.it is really common for you to feel this way. If these feelings are getting in the way of you attending a group then we can arrange for you to speak with the team beforehand. Please discuss this with the secretary when calling to book.

Need to talk?

CAMHS live is an online chat service available Monday – Friday 10-4.30pm. If you are a young person aged 13 and over you can use it to discuss any concerns or difficulties you may be having with your emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Or call the consultation line on 0300 1111 022, option 1, option 1. This service is available Monday to Friday between 9-5 should you need to speak to someone.

What do others say about CAMHS?

Here is some feedback from other young people who have worked with our team:

‘Someone actually listened to how I was feeling and they didn't assume and they supported and explained to me how to help myself’

‘Fab course lots to take in’

‘Had a good laugh, thank you very much’

‘Everyone got to share their own ideas and feelings. Small group so not too intimidating’

‘I could relate to people and I now have coping mechanisms. Talking about certain topics - social media and school’

"Kind. Respected. Friendly."

"Understanding and commitment of the staff member to listen to our needs. Always thinking of new ways to help."

Moving on from CAMHS

Becoming an adult is a crucial stage of your social, personal and emotional development when we all need to pay close attention to your individual needs. This may also at this time when you move on from CAMHS.

Flexibility about the age at which you move to an appropriate adult service is based upon your individual needs. In some cases, completion of a current plan beyond your 18th birthday may prevent the need to move to an adult service.

For some young person who first have contact with CAMHS in the six months prior to their 18th birthday, and who are likely to require longer term support, you may begin seeing an adult service straight away.

Regardless of which service you are moving on to, that service should get to know you beforehand and a plan should be in place to ensure the move happens as seamlessly as possible.

The plans should be:

In your best interests and involve shared decision making

Undertaken collaboratively and in partnership with the service and yourself

Planned, structured and timely

Embedded in the involvement of all agencies and staff involved in your care

Take into consideration the needs of carers.

If you have any questions or concerns please talk to a member of the CAMHS team.

Parents and carers

If you are worried about a child in your care we would encourage you to speak to a professional that is involved with your child. This could be their teacher, school nurse or GP. They can then complete a referral into CAMHS should they need. The professionals involved will be able to offer you advice and show you what other services are available to help support you. If a referral is completed, it will then be screened by a clinician and you will be informed of the decision. If the referral is accepted into CAMHS then you will be invited to attend an initial assessment.

What happens at the first appointment?

An initial assessment is an appointment for your child and you, lasting approximately 90 minutes. The purpose of this assessment is to explore the difficulties and to decide whether our service is best placed to meet the needs of your child. During the appointment, our clinician might find it useful to speak to your child alone. You may also wish to speak to us alone. If your child is under the age of 11, please bring another adult to the appointment to supervise your child in the waiting area, whilst you speak to us.

What happens after the first appointment?

Following the assessment, possible outcomes may include:

Recommendation to attend our workshops, which cover a variety of difficulties and coping strategies

Recommendation for individual or group therapy

Information about other local and national services, which might be useful to your child and you

Advice, information and discharge from our service.

You will receive a letter and plan in the post from the clinician detailing the outcome.

What if things change?

If things get better whilst waiting for the initial assessment appointment and your child or you feel you no longer need the appointment, then please call the CAMHS Initial Assessment Team Secretary on: 0300 1111 022, Option 1, Option 3. Our phone line is open between 09:00am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

If things get worse then you can call the consultation line on 0300 1111 022, option 1, option 1.

This service is available Monday to Friday between 9-5 for advice and guidance, this is not an emergency line.

Or talk to us online via CAMHS Live (available for parents/carers and young people 13-18 years) 10-4pm Monday – Friday.

If you feel your child is in a crisis or needs urgent support, contact your GP, out of hours, call 111

If you think your child is at serious risk or they have seriously harmed themselves, then call 999 or go straight to your nearest A&E.

What services do you offer?

We offer low intensity brief interventions for children, young people and their families. The aim is to build capacity and resilience in emotional health and wellbeing, through collaborative working with professionals including schools, young people and their families. Some of the services that we offer are:

Group work

Direct work

CAMHS live

Consultation line

Support in schools

We have a consultation line for parents and professionals for advice and guidance. This service is available every weekday from 9-5pm Call 0300 1111 022 option 1 then option 1.

CAMHS Live is there to offer online information and advice about emotional wellbeing and mental health. The service is available for parents and carers of and young people aged 13 +. Its available Monday– Friday 10:00am- 4:30pm, excluding bank holidays.

We also provide specialist therapeutic interventions for complex mental health disorders, which may include:

Individual therapy

Family therapy

Therapeutic groups

Psychiatry assessments

Medication prescribing and reviewing

You are a vital part in your child’s journey to recovery. We actively encourage you to take an interest to build a better understanding of their difficulties. You are part of the solution and we invite you to talk to the clinicians and agree to be part of the sessions. This will then provide you with the tools and to help maintain the changes at home.

What workshops do you run?

The team deliver psychoeducational workshops for children, young people and their families. They are not therapy sessions. They offer a natural and supportive learning environment to create meaningful coping strategies. They’re offered in groups with a maximum of 12 and delivered by skilled clinicians to meet the needs of your child.

It’s completely normal to feel anxious about joining a workshop and it is common for everyone to feel this way. We do encourage participation but we do not force this. You can choose to share as much or as little about yourself or your child’s difficulties.

Confidentiality in the groups is extremely important and we ask that you respect that at all times. The workshops are here to help identify the issues surrounding your child difficulties and to help establish a positive action plan to manage those feelings, thoughts and/or behaviour.

Who can attend a workshop?

Depending on the outcome of your child’s initial assessment, your CAMHS practitioner and you would have decided what workshop will best suit your child’s need. Some of our workshops are for parents/carers and children together, parents/carers only or child only.

If you are attending a parent/carer only workshop then two people can attend. This can be either both parents/carers, a family member or a friend. Professionals currently supporting the child cannot attend the workshop.

If the workshop is for your child and a parent/carer, then only one parent/carer can attend.

Parent/carer feedback

‘My daughter found the workshop very helpful as did I.’

‘He felt very relaxed after not wanting to come and talk about his feelings. He found 1-1 and the workshop beneficial. Understanding that his feelings are normal and other children have them and also how to deal with anxiety.’

‘I found the workshop very helpful. There were some great coping strategies which I would definitely try. It was also good to talk to other parents in the same boat.’

‘Really valuable use of time. It was helpful to hear other parent's experiences, plus the insight and advice of the course leaders was excellent. Having attended the workshop as well will give my son and me greater opportunities to communicate about his emotions. Thank you.’

Looking after you

It is important to look after your own wellbeing and mental health. It can be really hard supporting your child with their mental health difficulties. Sometimes we need to deal with our own mental health to then help support your child. If you feel you need some help and support for your own mental health then please contact:

Changing minds IAPT works with individuals who are feeling stressed, low in mood or have mild to moderate depression and/or an anxiety disorder.

Mental health navigators, the service is delivered in partnership with mind and is designed to support people experiencing difficulties with their emotional wellbeing, living conditions and physical health.

Below are some links to free workshops and online learning to help and support you.

Professionals

Referrals can be made by any professional working directly with the child, young person and their families who has concerns for the individual’s emotional wellbeing, mental health and live in Northamptonshire. However, it is essential that referrals are consented to either by the person who holds parental responsibility and/or the young person where they have the capacity to consent.

The types of difficulties CAMHS can help with are:

Low mood/depression

Eating difficulties

Attachment difficulties

Obsessions and compulsions (OCD)

Effects of abuse or trauma

Conduct disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

More complex psychological difficulties

For any other children’s specialist services in NHFT such as: ASD, ADHD, Eating disorders please click the links on the menu to the side.

This will then be screened by a clinician, who will then inform you and the family of the decision.

Referral criteria for further assessment

Registered with a GP in Northamptonshire

Aged between 0-18 years

Presenting with signs of or on-going concerns of mental health difficulties that are:

Impacting on their developmental functioning

Or is likely to result in significant risk to themselves or others

And less intensive intervention hasn’t worked or is unlikely to suffice

Consent has been obtained from the young person and or parent/carer

Contact information

If you are unsure or would like some advice or guidance you can call the consultation line on:

0300 1111 022, option 1, option 1.

This service is available Monday to Friday between 9-5pm, it is not an emergency line.

You can also give this number to the young people and their family. CAMHS Live is also available to support 13-18years. They can also complete a facilitated referral through the consultation line.

Professionals wanting to attend workshop for their own continual professional development can book on by calling CAMHS skills based intervention team Secretary on: 0300 1111 022, Option 1, Option 4. Our phone line is open between 09:00am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. We accept up to two professionals per group.

Services CAMHS offer

Some of the services we offer invlude:

Skilled based groups and parent education workshops as first intervention for the majority of children/young people referred to the team. The team receives their caseload via the Community CAMHS Initial Assessment Team and a CAMHS clinician will decide on what workshop the child and/or parent to attend. The groups can be a really helpful way of meeting others in similar situations. They are very practical and help people learn positive coping strategies.

Low intensity short term interventions for children, young people and their families in Northamptonshire.The aim is to build capacity and resilience in emotional health and wellbeing, through collaborative working with professionals, young people and their families.

Specialist interventions following NICE guidelines such as individual therapy, family therapy, therapeutic groups for children and young people and their family. This is determined by care planning through a structured, treatment package approach, agreed through therapeutic contracting.

The team also includes a paediatric psychology element which provides assessment and intervention for children and young people with physical health problems, chronic illness or developmental delay, working as part of multi-disciplinary services.

Useful resources

Resources - leaflets and posters

Resources - other organisations

Headspace Website and App
This website teaches young people about meditation and mindfulness. This can be a valuable coping skill when feeling overwhelmed or unable to control strong thoughts and feelings. Users can sign up for free and take part in guided meditation and mindfulness sessions.

Young Minds - Parents Helpline
This is a confidential service (unless the advisors think the young person is at risk) advisors are available from 9:30am – 4:00pm Monday to Friday. The advisor will listen and give some practical guidance on how to help, if you need further help they’ll refer you to one of our specialists whether it's a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, psychologist or mental health nurse. They’ll arrange a phone consultation within 7 days.

Calm Harm Website and App
This resource is designed to help young people resist the urge to self-harm, it is free and password protected.

HeadMeds
Website powered by young minds for young people about mental health medication. It has lists of medications, what they are used for and side effects explained without medical terms or jargon.

AskNormen
A website for those interested mental health and emotional wellbeing of young people in Northamptonshire. It contains a search tool and links to a directory of services.

Beat.
BEAT is the UK leading charity for supporting those with Eating Disorders; the website contains lots of useful information about types of eating difficulties as well as support helplines.

Rethink
Rethink is a mental health charity which provides advice and information and a list of available support in your area.